Well, that was a pleasant surprise. Who would've ever imagined Cyanogen taking it to the next level and finding a vessel of the Oppo N1's magnitude? In fact, as we've discovered through our extended use of the device, the CyanogenMod Oppo N1 is far more than just another phone that runs the custom ROM. Because this is the very first mass-produced phone to ship with CyanogenMod out of the box, developers have clearly given it the special attention it deserves, polishing the user experience inside out. read more →

5.9" 16M-color, Android OS v4.3 Jelly Bean with CyanogenMod 10.2; Android 4.4 KitKat is on its way with a CyanogenMod 11 update

We have to hand it to Oppo for making such a bold move to solve an increasingly common problem. While most other manufacturers have stuck with the form factor they're comfortable with, Oppo's taken the extra effort to craft a high-end swivel camera, instead of just drilling an extra hole for a fixed secondary camera. Sure, there are now many phones with satisfactory front-facing cameras, but the versatility of a swivel camera adds so much more fun to mobile photography. read more →

We liked Oppo's Color OS interface with its polished looks, little touches, and rich gesture navigation options, including a touch panel on the back of the phone. The N1 also comes with a handy O-Click keychain remote out of the box, and a pair of very good in-ear headphones. Surprisingly for a phone touted as camera-centric, the swivel-mounted camera, is subpar compared to even much less expensive phones out there, so besides more detailed selfies, its rotating mechanism is of dubious benefit.

Going down in size, the Lumia 1020 has a much better camera. read more →

The rotatable F2.0 13-megapixel camera is fantastic. As mentioned previously, it swivels around to let you take self-portraits and also features a built-in image signal processor Oppo calls Pure Image. Oppo also claims that the N1 is the first Android handset to feature six lenses, similar to the Nokia Lumia 1020, though lacking a built-in optical image stabilizer.

Low-light shots were well taken, however, and flash shots weren't overexposed. read more →

Matte finish gives the Oppo N1 a more premium feel than its plastic chassis

Of all the phones we’ve handled we’ve never been approached by so many members of the public and fellow press to ask about what we're using. From restaurants, to casinos, to conferences - the Oppo N1 caught peoples’ eyes and stood out as the different, alternative phone that it genuinely is. Now that doesn’t make it an instant success, but it goes a step in pointing out how the leftfield can be more interesting than the norm.Even though the S600 processor at the N1’s core isn’t the most up to date, we didn't mind. read more →